New York, NY-(ENEWSPF)- Speaking of the issue in civil rights terms, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg released a statement Wednesday praising President Obama's support of same sex marriage, "No American president has ever supported a major expansion of civil rights that has not ultimately been adopted by the American people – and I have no doubt that this will be no exception."

"This is a major turning point in the history of American civil rights," Bloomberg said in a statement. "No American president has ever supported a major expansion of civil rights that has not ultimately been adopted by the American people – and I have no doubt that this will be no exception. The march of freedom that has sustained our country since the Revolution of 1776 continues, and no matter what setbacks may occur in a given state, freedom will triumph over fear and equality will prevail over exclusion. Today’s announcement is a testament to the President’s convictions, and it builds on the courageous stands that so many Americans have taken over the years on behalf of equal rights for gay and lesbian Americans, stretching back to the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village."